Down the street, an epic Friday-night clash looms

Back in September, the football team at nearby Bearden High School here in West Knoxville lost to archrival Farragut High School for the eighth straight time, 35-28 in 2 OTs. Although I didn't go, it was an epic Friday-night football clash by all accounts -- and now it's going to have a sequel, in the state playoffs this Friday night.

Meanwhile, back home in Connecticut, the Newington Indians are on the playoff bubble. They need to hope Newtown beats Masuk tomorrow night, and then the Indians must take care of business on Thanksgiving Day against their archrival, Wethersfield.

More on both Bearden and Newington after the jump.

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I'll start with Bearden, and a bit of history. Until this season, the Bulldogs hadn't won a playoff game since 1994, and their recent postseason history has been littered with losses to their archrival. In 2005, they went 5-5 in the regular season, earned the #3 seed in Region 1 of Class 5A, and lost to 8-2 Farragut (the #2 seed in Region 2) by a score of 21-17. The Admirals made it to the quarterfinals before bowing out. History essentially repeated itself in 2006, as Bearden again earned the #3 seed in Region 1, this time with a 7-3 record, and again lost in the first round to Region 2's #2 seed, Farragut (7-3), by a score of 20-6. Yet again, Farragut advanced to the quarterfinals.

This season, however, the Bulldogs and Admirals avoided an early playoff showdown because both teams have been superb. Each went 9-1 in the regular season, earning the #1 seeds in their respective regions. (Bearden's only loss was that triple-overtime heartbreaker against Farragut, while Farragut's only loss occurred the week after the big win over Bearden, a 24-21 letdown against McMinn County.) Because both teams are regional #1 seeds, the bracket set them up for a potential state quarterfinal clash.

Potential became reality as, two Fridays ago, Bearden won its first playoff game since 1994, 35-0 over Ooltewah, and Farragut defeated Jefferson County 43-13; and then this past Friday, Bearden routed William Blount by a score of 30-0, while Farragut topped Dobyns Bennett 28-6. Which brings us to a quarterfinal rematch between the bitter rivals: Farragut (11-1) at Bearden (11-1), this Friday at 7:00 PM.

This means several things. First of all, traffic will be an absolute nightmare on the streets near us Friday evening. The regular-season game in September featured a huge crowd -- I think I heard it was something like 4,000 people -- and I imagine attendance will be even higher now that a spot in the state semifinals is at stake.

Second, and more importantly, it'll be a hell of an opportunity for me to see some real Southern Friday Night Lights high-school football in person while I'm living here in Tennessee. I haven't been to a Bearden game yet, but I've been kinda wanting to go (even though Becky thinks I'm nuts for it), and I'm definitely not going to miss this one. I may not have any connection to either school, but I imagine the atmosphere will be absolutely insane. That alone is enough reason for this football fan to go -- and root, root, root for the home team. Go Bearden!

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While I may jump on the bandwagon of the local school here, my heart will always reside, high-school-football-wise, at Alumni Field in Newington... and the Newington High School football Indians are still alive for a state championship themselves. But they need to do some BCS-like scoreboard-watching this week. NHS is 8-1, but they need help to qualify for states.

Of course, for those of us who attended Newington High in the mid-to-late 1990s, there mere fact that NHS is in the playoff hunt at all seems like a miracle. As I've recounted many times before, the Indians were 3-38-1 while I was in school there, including winless seasons my freshman and junior years, part of a decade-long string of futility in which they went 13-89-2 from 1994 through 2003. But those dreary days are a distant memory now; the Indians have gone 30-9-1 since the current crop of seniors enrolled as freshmen in 2004, with one of those nine losses coming in the state semifinals in 2004, when the Indians finished 9-2. (They went 7-3 in 2005, just barely missing out on the playoffs because of a stunning loss to Wethersfield, and 6-3-1 in 2006.)

Now they have a chance to return to the playoffs for the second time in four years -- and just the third time since 1991 -- but they'll need some help to get there. Whereas Tennessee's high schools have 32-team football tournaments starting in early November, in Connecticut the regular season extends through Thanksgiving and is followed by mere four-team state tournaments in early December. So while Newington is currently ranked #5 in Class L with one game to go -- against archrival Wethersfield on Thanksgiving Day -- that isn't enough to get the Indians into the postseason. They need to rise into the Top 4, and beating the Eagles won't be sufficient, by itself, to accomplish that.

In all likelihood, Newington's playoff hopes rest, for now, on the shoulders of the 7-2 Newtown Nighthawks of Class LL, who visit 8-1 Masuk, the #4 team in Class L, tomorrow night at 7:00 PM. If Masuk wins, they are almost assured of finishing ahead of Newington, even if the Indians beat Wethersfield the next day. On the other hand, if Masuk loses, NHS will be in with a win over WHS.

Newington ought not get too caught up in scoreboard-watching, though. Even if Newtown wins, Newington must be careful not to look past Wethersfield. As I mentioned, the Indians came into their Thanksgiving Day game two years ago at 7-2, needing only a win over 1-9 Wethersfield to clinch a playoff spot. They lost. This year, the Eagles are a more respectable 5-4, and the game is once again at Wethersfield, as it was in 2005. Newington broke its 10-year losing streak against Wethersfield in 2004 (with Becky and me in attendance), and won again last year, but both of those games were at Alumni Field; the Indians have not won at Wethersfield since 1993.

That said, tomorrow night's Masuk-Newtown really is crucial. There are some other scenarios whereby it's mathematically possible for Newington to qualify despite a Masuk victory (or even despite a loss to Wethersfield), but they would require such massive amounts of help from around the state that the scenarios are overwhelmingly unlikely to occur, and thus really are not even worth discussing. For all practical purposes, the Indians need Masuk to lose tomorrow, and then to beat Wethersfield on Thursday.

So: GOOO NEWTOWN!!! (It's like Newington without the "ing"!)

And then: GOOO INDIANS!!! BEEEAT EAGLES!!!

Comments

[Jay Johnson]

If you go to the Bearden-Farragut game, I may have to sneak out of the house to check that one out. The QB for the Farragut Admirals is the kid brother of one of my poker buddies.

Those two schools really don't like each other. It's only recently that Bearden's been in any position to do anything about it on the field, though.

Should be a good one. I'd say that the winner is likely a favorite to win the state championship.

Also happy to see you dig out my early season post.

Another huge matchup in Class 4A with Maryville taking on Red Bank in a battle of undefeated teams. However, if history is any indicator, I'd suspect that Maryville walks away with the win.

Maryville is currently ranked #13 in the nation in USA Today's Super 25, #7 in SI's top 25, and are on a 57 game win streak. They've won 6 of the last 7 state titles in their classification. Since 2000, their record is 110-6.

[Brendan]

I'm definitely going, unless, like, Becky goes into labor in the interim or something. :) Would love to see you there.

If I understand the bracket correctly, Bearden will host the state championship game if they make it that far. Though not the semis, oddly.

[Jay Johnson]

Well, they may technically be a home team for the state finals, but it won't be held down the street from your place.

All of the state finals are held on campus at MTSU in Murfreesboro. The games are called the Blue Cross Bowls (formerly the Clinic Bowl). Friday night is the 1A-2A championships, then Saturday is the 3A-4A-5A games.

[Brendan]

Oh, OK. Well then I guess this is the last Bearden home game of the year. Couldn't have asked for a better matchup... or a more perfect opportunity for them to break their losing streak against Farragut.

[David K.]

I've resigned myself to the caveman like "Go , Beat " cheer in terms of the Irish, but for the love of all thats holy Brendan, outside of that you should use the better sounding (and USC sanctioned "Go , Beat the "

Thank you

[gerry D]

Connecticut has too many teams in the playoffs now. It's supposed to be difficult to get to the playoffs. CT has six classes and four teams each qualify. That's enough for such a small state.

Get this schedule if you qualify for the playoffs. Thanksgiving Day game on Thursday (Nov 22). Semifinal game (Tuesday, Nov. 27), Finals (Saturday, Dec. 1). Three games in nine days -- a bit much for such a hard-hitting sport. Remember, these are high school kids not the pros.

[David K.]

stupid > and < not showing up, the above is SUPPOSED to read:

I've resigned myself to the caveman like "Go [insert mascot] , Beat [insert mascot]" cheer in terms of the Irish, but for the love of all thats holy Brendan, outside of that you should use the better sounding (and USC sanctioned) "Go [insert mascot] , Beat the [insert mascot]"